Washing machine



June 24, 1924.. R,4%,23-

H. GOSSE WASHING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1918 6 Sheets-Sheet l WEN/588$:u H "mm I a v 777mm 65. ojse/ a y 1 A TTORNEY mm 24, 192 10 m wz v H. G.:GRQ$$E WASHING MACHWE Filed Jul 26, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Z6oooooooooooo oooooooeo 0o WITNE88E8: INI/ENTOR fli r/77072 June 24,192A. mss zs H. G. GROESSE WASHING momma Filed July 26. 1918 4Shams-Sheet s A TTOR/VE Y June 24, 1924.. 3, 49,623

H. ca. GRQSSE WASHING nmcnms Filed July 26, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Patented June 24, i924.

HERMAN G. GROSSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed July 26, 1918. Serial No. 246,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN G. GRoss a citizen of the'United States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to improvements in washing machines, of thatgeneral type having an oscillating drum or cylinder to receive theclothes to be washed and which is contained in a shell or tub that isadapted to receive the wash water in which the cylinder, with theclothes therein, is partially submerged. The said inner cylinder and theouter surrounding shell or'tub are provided at their upper sides withmovable or removable doors through which the clothes are inserted intoand removed from the washing cylinder.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide means for separatingthe-clothes in the oscillating washing cylinder and for keepingthemseparated during the washing operation so as to prevent the clothes frombeing unequally distributed in the washing cylinder, and therebyavoiding throwing unequal loads on-the operating mechanism of the,cylinder in the to and fro movements of the latter and avoid wadding ofthe clothes in a manner to prevent free passage of the wash watertherethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide means on the outer shellor tub which intercepts; the wash water as the cylinder is oscillatedfrom side to side in such manner as to cause the wash water to bediverted and. forced through the perforated cylinder in the part thereofwhich contains theclothes and-which is submerged in. the wash water inthe outer casing or tub.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means forinterlocking the clothes cylinder to a part within the tub that isconnected to the operating mechanism to support the clothes cylinder inthe tub, the interlocking means being constructed and arranged to permitthe clothes cylinder to be" uickly set in place in the tub and removed terefrom and to accurately center the clothes cylinder relatively to thedriving mechanism. a

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the partsshown in the drawings and described in the specification, and is pointedout in the appended claims;

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is anend view of the washing machine embodying my invention,with parts broken away. i T

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the indirect line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the indirect line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the actuating member ofthe power transmission mechanism hereinafter to be described.

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating the castings on thewashing cylinder and tub, respectively-,through the medium of which thewashing/cylinder is supported in the tub and is centered relatively tothe driving mechanism.

Figure 7'is a detail of the pitman for imparting motion from a motordriven train to the operating member shown in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

The frame of the machine comprises, two like shaped frame members 10,oneat each end of the machine having broad supporting bases 11.. Said framemembers are tied together at their bases by a tubular tie bar 12provided at its ends with cross arms 13 that are bolted to the bases, asbest shown in Figure 3. The upper ends of said frame members are tiedtogether by a tubular tie bar 14 which is bolted or otherwise rigidlysecured to the inner faces of the frame" members.

15 designates the outer casing or tub, herein shown as made cylindric.It comprises an imperforate shell 16 which is provided at its upper sidewith an opening closed by a sliding door 17. The tub is cor'npleted byend walls or heads 19 which, as herein shown, are inwardly flanged andare connected to the ends of the shell by 1 double seam joints 20(Figure 2). The shell is provided at its upper side, and for a distanceat its rear side, with curved guides 21 to guide the door in its openingand closing movements. The said ,tub' is supported on vertical plates 22that are bolted or otherwise secured to the end frame the tub thusconstructed are supported. The 1 tub is further supported on the endframe members by other plates 24 attachedto or made integral with theframe members, said plates being formed with bosses 25 that receiveshort bearing trunnions 26, 27, which extend through the end walls orheads 19 of the tub and are mounted torock in bushings in said bosses.The trunnions are formed integral with carriers, designated as a wholeby 28. The trunnion 27 at one end of the machine is interlocked to ashort stub 27 or may be cast therein when the assoa shaft 29, throughwhich power is transmitted from a driving mechanism to oscillate thecylinder. The said shaft 29 is shown assquare in cross section and maybe either fittedin a squared opening in the trunnion ciated carrier 28is cast. The said carriers 28 are alike in contour, with the exceptionof the manner of attaching the stub shaft 29 to one of the trunnions.Each carrier comprises a generally triangular plate 30 that is formedwith converging ribs' 31, 31, and at the lower proximate ends of saidribs with a'semi-circular socket 32. Said ribs terminate at their upperends in flat seats 33.. The carriers extend below said semicircularsockets 32 to form weighted arms 35 for the purpose to be hereinafterdescribed.

40 designates asa whole the oscillating flanged to surround, and a reinterlocked to,

the shell either by double seaming or other suitable fastening means.The said cylinder is open at its top and is closed by a door 44 that maybe mounted either to swing on hinges or to be otherwise re movedtoatford access to the interior of the cylinder. The said door spans aspace between, and issupported on ledges 45, 45 which, as shown inFigure 3, are formed by turning the metal of the shell inwardly andthence turning it back and attaching its terminal margins to the body ofthe shell.

Attached to each end or head of the oscillating cylinder isa cast metalbracket, designated as a whole by 47 and shown in detail in Figure 5."Said brackets are provided with oppositely extending arms '48-which lieagamst and are riveted or otherwise se cured to the heads 42. Thebrackets are further provided between said arms with convergingflanges49 which, at their lower described, the clothes cylinder is oscillatedproximate ends, terminate in semi-oylindric projections 50 to enter thesockets 32'of the masses carrier plates '29. The upper ends of saidflanges 49 terminate in overhanging members 51 which bear upon the seats85 of the carriers 28.

The construction of said carriers 28 and brackets 47, arranged withtheir interfitting, converging flanges 31 and 49, respectively,constitutes means for interlocking the cylinder to the carriers 28. Saidcarriers, by reason of their connection to the rocking trunnions 26, 27have an oscillating movement which is transmitted through the brackets47 to the cylinder 40.

The cylinder 40 is provided at its lower side and in the. plane of itsaxis of oscillation with an upstanding partition 55 which divides theclothes space of the cylinder into two like segmental compartments. Ashere in shown, said partition is formed as an integral part of the shell41 of the cylinder, the metal of the shell of the cylinder being formedupwardly to constitute, as shown, a hollow V-shaped projection orpartition. Preferably also the walls of the hollow partition thus formedare perforated so as to permit the passage of water therethrough. Asherein shown and preferably, the walls of said hollow partitions arestiffenedby bracing plates or diaphragms 58 arranged one at each endthereof, as shown, and flanged at their side edges to be riveted orotherwise secured to the partition walls.

A tie bolt 59 extends between the heads of the washing cylinder andthrough bosses 60 formed on the lower ends of arms 61, which depend fromthe brackets 47, said tie rod being threaded at its ends to receiveclamping nuts. A spacing tube 62 surrounds said tie rod and tits at itsends over the bosses 60 and against shoulders formed by reducing thediameter of the inner ends of thebosses to space the cylinder heads.

Said spacing tube lies within the upper side of the hollow partition 55,which latter is shown as curved at its upper side to conform to thespacing tube. The said tie bolt and spacing tube, in connection with thepartition 55, has the effect to greatly strengthen the cylinderstructure, especially at the bottom portion which principally sustainsthe dead and operating loads.

The shell of the tub is provided at each side of the plane of its axisand near the bottom thereof with deflecting or retarding ledges 65 whichextend inwardly from the tub towards, but terminateshort' of, the shellof the clothes cylinder. As herein shown, they are formed as integralparts of the shell, the shell being-swage ,wardly to produce exteriorV-shaped reor bent incesses in the shell and corresponding shaped ledgeswithin the tub. i

In the operation of the machine thus far about'the axis of the trunnionsor lugs 26,

1,4ee,eas

27 I through a short are of a circle. The clothes in' said cylinder are,by such oscillatory movement, carried backwardly and forwardly throughthe wash water which passes through the perforations of the cylindershell and through the meshes of the clothes being washed. The motion ofthe cylinder in contact with the water tends to carry the water upwardlyalong the inner sides of the tub, and the momentum of the moving body ofwater tends to carry the water much further than that due to themovement-of the oscillating cylinder alone. The said ledges 65, locatedas shown in Figure 3, serve, not only to retard the upward flow of thewash water, but also, by reason of the location thereof and also byreason of their shape, serve to deflect the wash water inwardly towardsthe perforate shell of the cylinder, and thereby force an increasedvolume of water through the clothes. That is to say, the angle of thelower sections or sides 65 of said ledges is upwardly and inwardly, andthe planes of said lower sides at the opposite sides of the machineconverge.

Therefore, in each oscillation of the cylinder the lower sides of theledges serve to throw the water into the cylinder through theperforations thereof and thereby retain the water in the active cleaningzone of the cylinder. Furthermore, the water that is thrown against thetub wall above the ledges is' deflected by the oblique upper sides 65 ofsaid ledges downwardly and inwardly through the perforated tub wall intoand through the clothes. Said deflecting ledges also serve to preventwater splashing from the tub even though the tub should not be made thefull circle andwere not provided with a cover. The weighted arms act toequalize the weight of thecarrier brackets 28 about their axis ofrotation.

The artition serves to prevent the clothes liunching or matting at oneside of the plane of oscillation of the cylinder so that, with theproper amount of clothes in the cylinder, they are prevented fromwadding so that water may pass freely therethrough and thus enhance thecleansing operation. By reason of the fact that the partition 55 isperforated, said partition afiords comparatively small retardation ofthe passage of water from one segmental chamber of the cylinder to theother. Thus a very free flow of water through the clothes, due to theoscillation of the cylinder, isinsured' which enables the clothes to bewashed in a minimum time.

The operating mechanism herein shown for oscillating the cylinder ismade as follows:

Fixed to the outer end of the stub shaft 29 beyond the trunnion 27 is acrank arm 68 which carries at its end a bearin roller 69. 70 designatesan actuating mem er that is formed with internal parallel tracks 71, 71,along which the roller 68 travels. Said actuating member, as hereinshown, consists of a closed yoke-shaped casting that is enlarged at itssides 72 to permit free movement of the crank arm 68 that lies betweenthe arms-of the yoke-shaped member. The casting is pivoted at its upperend by means of a pivot bolt 75 to a lug 76 on the adjacent end framemember '10 of the machine. As shown, the crank arm 68 is forked with itsarms extending on opposite sides of the roller 69, and the roller ismounted in the fork of the crank arm by means of a short shaft or stud77. Preferably and as herein shown, the outer side of the openyokeshaped actuating member is covered by a plate 78 which preventsclothing of an operator being caught in the cooperating ack tuatingmember and crank arm.

The said actuating member is swung from side to side by means of apitman 80 which is loosely connected at .one end by a pin 81 with theactuating member adjacent to the pivot- 75 thereof: and said pitman isoperatively connected at its other end to a gear train which is drivenby a motor 82. The

means for connecting said pitman with the motor is made as follows:

84 designates an eccentric that lies within a strap 85 fixed to theupper end of the pitman 80. 86 designates a short shaft to which isfixed the eccentric 8.4. On said shaft is mounted worm wheel 87 thatmeshes with a worm 88, shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and said worm88 is fixed to a shaft 89 that is mounted in suitable bearings in a gearhousing 90 supported at the top of one of the frame members 10. Saidshaft 89 is provided with a grooved pulley 91 whichis connected by abelt 92 with similar grooved pulley 93 on the shaft of the motor 82.Said motor is supported on a cross beam or plate 95 that extends betweenand is supported at one end on the crank casing 90 and is supported atits other end on a gearing casing 91 for a reversible wringer gearmechanism.

The actuating member 7 O is shown in the central or mid position of itsthrow in Figure 1, at which time the crank arm 68 is vertical and theclothes cylinder is disposed in the tub with its opening uppermost, asseen in Figure 3. Figure 4 illustrates the position of said actuatingmember 70 when at one limit of its throw and the corresponding positionof the crank arm 68, and said Figure 4illustrates the angular movementof the clothes cylinder from its central position to its extreme throwas the operating mechanism herein shown is designed. The throw of thecylinder from side to side is accomplished with a comparatively smallendwise movement of the pitman 8O owing to the fact that the pitman ispivoted to the actuating member at a point closely adjacent to the pivot75 of the actuating member. As the actuating member swings from side toside on its pivot the bearing roller 69 for the crank arm 68 rides onthe tracks 71 which may be hardened to avoid wear between the parts.

In order to prevent sudden shocks or jars being thrown upon theactuating mechanism at the reversal of oscillation of the cylinder andalso to assist the cylinder to smoothly reverse at the extremity of eachthrow. cushioning means may be employed which may be associated with thepitman that transmits power from the motor driven gear drive to .theactuating member 70 or may otherwise be applied to said actuatingmember.

As herein shown. the cushioning means are associated with and embodiedin the pitman construction, and are made as follows:

The said pitman 80 comprises two end members 100, 101, the formerconstituting part of or attached rigidly to the strap 85, and the latterconstituting a shaft, being fixed rigidly to a yoke 102 which isconnected to the actuating member 70 through the pivot pin 81.

. The pitman member 100 terminates in a tubular portion that is reducedat 1.03 and 30 is exteriorly screw threaded to enter and be threaded toone end of a sleeve 104. The other end of the sleeve is interiorly screwthreaded to engage external screw threads of a collar 105 that ismounted on the pitman member 101 to slide lengthwise of the latter. Saidpitman member 101 is provided with an extension 106, shown as reduced indiameter beyond the main body of the pitman member 101. Said extensionextends throughout the principal length of the sleeve 104. 107, 108designate perforated discs, through which the extension extends. Thedisc 107 fits closely within the sleeve 104 and against the lower end ofthe reduced screw threaded portion 103 of the pitman member 100. Thedisc 108 likewise fits closely in the sleeve 104 and against the upperend of the collar 105. llnter'posed between said discs 107 and 108 is aspiral expansion spring 110. The upper end of the extension 106 of thepitman member 101 is threaded to receive adjusting and locking nuts 111and 112.

The eccentric 84 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow inFigure 1 and, as therein shown, the said eccentric is just beginning toexert power on the pitman to oscillate the clothes cylinder in onedirection. The corresponding position of the pitman parts are shown inFigure 7. Endwise thrust of the pitman is primarily exerted through theupper pitman member 100 and the sleeve 104 to cause said sleeve, thespring 110, and, the collar 105 to move downwardly relatively to thepitman member 101 (the collar sliding on the pitman member 101) untilthe lower disc 108 is brought up against the shoulder 11 1 between thereduced and larger part of the pitman memher 101, whereupon the drivingthrust of the pitman is exerted through the spring 110 so as toyieldingly transmit said thrust. Thereby sudden shock on the gear trainand motor and on the pivot 81 is avoided. During this movement the upperend of the reduced portion 106 of the pitman member 101 has beenprojected through the upper disc 107, so that. when the eccentric is reversed to exert a pulling stress on the pit man to swing the cylinder inthe other direction, the shoulder afforded by the member 111 on thepitman extension 106 is separated trom the upper disc 1 7. The pullingstress exerted by the eccentric in oscilating the cylinder in the otherdirection has the effect to first cause the upper pitman member, thesleeve 1041, the spring 110, and the collar 105 to shift endwiserelatively to the pitman member 101, and when the upper disc 107 isbrought u pulling stress of the pitman is exerted yieldingly through thespring 110., with the result of avoiding shocks on the gear train andmotor and the pivot 81.

116 designates a valve through which hot and cold water is supplied tothe tub and dirty water is drained therefrom. Said valve is shown indetail in Figure 8. lit is a four-way valve, and comprises a casing 117that is provided with ported hot and cold water branches 118, 119,respectively, adapted to be connected by pipes with sources of hot andcold water, a ported drain branch 120 connected to a drain pipe and aported delivery branch 121 that 1s connected toa pipe 122 through whichwater is delivered to the bottom of the tub and is drained therefrom tothe valve. 125 designates a plug rotatively mountedin the casing. Saidplug is provided with two through passages 126, 127 that terminate inports at the periphery of the plug and are adapted to register with theports of the "various branches. The ports of the passage 126 areangularly spaced ninety degrees,

while the ports of the passage 127 are angularly spaced one hundred andeighty degrees. Said plug passage 126 is adapted to-bridge betweeneither the hot or cold water branch to the delivery water branch 120 tofurnish either hot or cold water to the tub. The plug passage 127 isadapted to bridge between the delivery branch 121 and the drain branch,as shown in Figure 8,, to permit wash water to be drained from the tubto the drain pipe connected to the branch 120. So also, if desired,either of the hot or cold water branches may be connected against thenut 111,

b the passage 126 to the drain branch to cIear said branch and itsconnected pipe of sediment.

The valve plug 125 is provided with an upstanding stem 130 which isrotatively mounted in bearings in a bracket which is attached to andrises from the valve casing. Said stem is provided with an operatinghandle 132, and said handle may cooperate with a dial 133 bearingsuitable legends to guide the operator in adjusting the valve to supplywater to or drain it from the tub.

I claim as my invention,

1. A washing machine comprising a tub for wash water, anoscillatory'clothes cylinder therein, adapted to be partially submergedin the wash water, with means to oscillate it, and a narrow, upstanding,hollow, perforated partition openin outwardly to the space between thecylin er and tub throughout the length thereof and at its normal lowerpart, and terminating below the axis of oscillation of the cylinder todivide the cylinder into segmental clothes. receiving compartments, saidcylinder being uno structed above said partition.

2. A washing machine comprisin a fixed tub for wash water, a perforateclothes cylinder oscillatory therein through a range of a part of acircle and adapted to be partially submer ed in the wash water, withmeans to oscifiate it, and a perforated, upstanding, longitudinalpartition within the normal lower part of the cylinder and terminatingbelow the axis of oscillation of the cylinder, said tub being providedat the sides, and below the top of said partition, with rigid internalwater deflectors out of contact with but closely adjacent to thecylinder periphery and formed with fixed, 1nclined faces to deflect intothe cylinder water raised towards them by the cylinder.

3. A washing, machine comprisin a fixed tub for wash water, a clothescylin er oscillatory therein througharange ofapart of a circle having aperforated shell and adapted to be partially submerged in the washwater,

a central, perforated partition rising from the bottom of said cylinderto form segmental clothes receiving compartments, and internal waterdeflecting ledges on the tub below the 'water level therein, and one ateach side of the normal position of said partition and terminating shortof the cylinder wall for deflecting water from the tub into the cylindertoward opposite sides of said partition during the oscillations of thecylinder.

4. A washing machine comprising a tub for wash water having end walls,an oscillatory cylinder therein, and V-shaped brackets and carriers onthe cylinder and tub ends, respectively, havin elongated bearing facesto support the cy inder from carrier flanges and to thereby center thecylinder in the tub, and separable from the carrier flanges by directlift, and means to transmit rocking motion to the trunnion of one ofsaid carriers.

6. -A washing machine comprising a tub for wash water havin end walls,an oscillatory cylinder thereln, carriers provided with trunnions whichare mounted to rock in bearings in said end walls and provided also withupwardly diverging flanges, and at the converging ends of said flangeswith sockets, a clothes cylinder within the tub, brackets fixed to theend walls of said cylinder and provided with diverging flanges to seaton the flanges of the carrier and with projections to seat in saidsockets, and means to transmit rocking motion to the trunnion of one ofsaid carriers. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand atChicago, Illinois, vthis 22nd day of July, 1918. v

HERMAN e. GROSSE.

